Champion of Knights
by Elf Of Avalon
Summary: The next installment in Tamora Pierce's quartet- or, rather, not, anymore- Protector of the Small. Kel has to move the refugees to fiefs near Corus...with Dom. AND MEATHEAD. FUNFUNFUN amouts. Meant to be serious, but the first chapter seems otherwise.
1. Going Home

"Kel, let's GO already! I wanna see Yuki!" Sir Nealan of Queenscove whined, bouncing in his saddle. His mount didn't look thrilled about the stress being put on his rear.  
  
"Just a second, Neal." Keladry of Middelin replied thoughtfully, sparing one last glance at the forty-foot-high walls of New Hope.  
  
She pushed a calloused hand through her short brown hair, frowning slightly.  
  
Was New Hope ready to defend itself? She had made this mistake before, leaving civilians- unready civilians- in charge of more civilians.  
  
Fanche, the camp's recently elected headwoman, seemed to have the same idea as Neal. She gestured toward the road, hurrying them toward their destination.  
  
Kel nodded resolutely and turned Peachblossom- her temperamental, strawberry roan gelding- toward the road.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Only hours later, they had reached the gates of Mastiff. Neal's emerald eyes gleamed impatiently.  
  
"Neal," Kel said, riding up behind him and catching his left hand. "I think you'd better do a healing on yourself before you go in. Look at that!"  
  
She waved his hand limply under his nose.  
  
"Oh." he said curiously, regarding the deep purple bruise across his knuckles. "How did that happen?"  
  
Kel rolled her eyes. "You've only been whacking it against your saddle for- oh, the last four hours. Why would you notice it?"  
  
Love, she thought with exasperation. Look what it did to people. Dom, though....that was another story.  
  
"Idiot meathead." she said, cuffing her friend on the head as she rode through the huge gates.  
  
"I am not-" he yelled after her, but was interrupted by a shout coming from the top of the battlements.  
  
"KEL!"  
  
She looked around for the shouter, only to be nearly knocked from her horse by a flying mass in royal blue.  
  
"DOM! Um...d'you think you could get off?"  
  
"Dom, discontinue your molesting of my classmate!" Neal yelled cheerfully from behind her.  
  
Dom released her, only to start doing something that resembled.....a jig.  
  
"Happy, happy, happy! Meathead- you're here to? They let you out without your keeper, or did you escape too?" he cried, dancing around on the muddly cobblestones.  
  
"What- what happened to you? Did someone drug your food, or something?" Kel asked, narrowing her long-lashed, hazel eyes.  
  
"No- the King finally convinced the councils of lords and commons to let the refugees go closer to Corus! And- here's the best part- we get to go with you!"  
  
"Really? Third company?" Kel replied excitedly, her normally mellow voice rising several octaves. "Really?"  
  
"Yes! Come on- Lord Wyldon wants to see you."  
  
She dismounted and followed the still dancing Domitan of Masbolle to the stables.  
  
Peachblossom settled into his stall after a quick brush and a few attempts at passing stable boys. Kel made her way through a crowded courtyard and up a stone staircase to a wide oak door. She knocked tentatively.  
  
"Come in." a harsh voice called from inside the door.  
  
"Yes, Milord? You wished to see me?" she cursed her own stupidity. Of course he wanted to see her. That would be why he summoned her to Fort Mastiff.  
  
Wyldon of Cavall looked up from his pile of paperwork on his desk. "Yes, Midelan, I did. It seems that the King has finally swayed the vote of the council of Lords and Commons, and we will be moving the entire of the refugees south. Though, I guess that you already know, judging by your euphoric friend's dancing." He said, gesturing toward a window that looked over the gate.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"You, of course, will be leading them, along with the third company of the King's Own, and the former commander of the Queen's Own, Buriram Tourakom. Nealan of Queenscove will also accompany you, and Lady Daine Sarrasri will check up on you, now and again. Do you have questions?"  
  
"No, sir. Except...when do we start?"  
  
"You will need to evacuate the camp of New Hope, and procure supplies, before leaving, so I would say....a month, about?"  
  
Kel nodded mutely. To vacate New Hope, only months after it had been established?  
  
Yes. For she knew that the purpose had only been to house the refugees until a better home had been found.  
  
"My lord, what must I do?" 


	2. Eat Your Vegetables

A/N I noticed two major mistakes in re-reading my first chapter, which, as of now, no one has caught but me. Anyway, anywhere it says "fort Mastiff", change it to "Fort Steadfast". We'll assume that Lord Wyldon has come for a visit. Also, I said that she had been riding Peachblossom. At the end of "Lady Knight" it says that she was riding Hoshi. We'll also assume that Tobe was riding Peachblossom, and they switched. Anyway, on to the story. Thank you all soooooooooooo much if you reviewed. Or, even if you just read.  
  
Kel sighed and raised a hand to swipe the sweat from her forehead. It left a trail of millet seeds. She sighed again and reached for a towel. When she had told Lord Wyldon that she would help, she hadn't expected to be elbow-deep in sticky seeds.  
  
"Having fun, Kel?" Neal asked, straightening from where he had been weighing pieces of dried meat.  
  
"Oh yes. THIS is why I became a knight. This, and only this. The glory and everything is all well and good, but the weighing of thousands of pounds of millet is good too." She replied sarcastically.  
  
"You now understand why I never wanted to become a knight." Dom said from where he sat, lazily playing with Jump.  
  
"You never wanted to become a knight?" Owen of Jesslaw said in shock from the doorway. "But you'd miss all of the jolliness! No rescuing fair damsels, meeting kings....."  
  
"I'll let you work on that list. I get to do all of that anyway."  
  
He thought for a moment in silence. "Getting a shield." Owen replied triumphantly. "You can't do that without being a knight."  
  
"I have a perfectly good shield, thank you very much, even if it isn't painted with some silly design signifying my house. A silly design signifying my house would prove to everyone that I am really related to Sir Meathead, over there."  
  
"Desist your petty arguing, and come and help me," Neal said, interrupting. "You two idiots have nothing better to do."  
  
"I think I'm finally done with the millet." Kel said, standing up and walking across the room.  
  
"Wonderful. Now, onto the wheat flour." Dom said, gesturing toward a huge storage bin. Kel rolled her eyes.  
  
"Where is the rest of Third Company?" she said, hoping to distract Dom from his 'Drill Sergeant' kick. "And why aren't they here helping us?"  
  
"I do believe that they are out on patrol. And I also believe that YOU have some work to do involving wheat flour."  
  
Kel sighed for the third time in as many minutes. "I need to use the latrine." She said, walking wearily to the door.  
  
"Hurry back!" she heard Dom call cheerfully, before starting an argument with his cousin. "Wheat flour never likes to be kept waiting!"  
  
It'd been like this for a week, the endless counting supplies leading up to their progress to Corus. Neal had become insufferable, always mooning about his lovely Yamani bride, and Owen was the same, over-eager puppy. The only one she considered sane was Dom, and he showed the family traits of borderline lunacy.  
  
Still, she was looking forward to seeing Corus, her family, and the palace again. The few months that she had spent near the Scanran border had changed her- maybe for the worse- and she wanted dearly to get back into her familiar routine at court.  
  
She finished in the latrine and walked unenthusiastically back to the low storage shed where she had been sorting.  
  
"You've returned, fair flower of my desire," Dom cried as she closed the wide door quietly, hoping that her friends wouldn't notice her return. "The wheat flour awaits!"  
  
"You sound like Cleon," Neal grumbled from his place by the dried meat. "Oh- oops, Kel."  
  
She ignored him and began counting barrels of wheat flower.  
  
"Lady, who is this Cleon tha' Neal's spoken of?" a small voice said by her elbow.  
  
She looked down into the blue-gray eyes of a blond ten-year-old. "No one. Just someone I knew in Corus. When did you get here, Tobe?"  
  
He looked offended. "Ah've been here the whole time, Lady."  
  
"Oh...I knew that."  
  
*~*  
  
Three hours later, she had finally finished counting the many barrels of wheat flour, begged from surrounding nobles' surplus.  
  
"Dinner time!" Neal cried eagerly, hearing the bell and darting to escape his cousin.  
  
Kel followed his lead, dashing toward the mess hall through the summer mud, and leaving Dom standing in the storage shed.  
  
She slowed to a walk, not ready to join the throngs inside the mess. She looked to the right of the huge door. No one was there. Making up her mind, she glanced around and walked into the shadows of the wall, hoping for a moment out of view of the entire camp.  
  
She leaned on the wall, closing her eyes momentarily and glad of the moment's peace.  
  
"Umm, Kel?" a voice interrupted her few moments of peace. She opened her eyes exasperatedly.  
  
It was Dom.  
  
"Oh hello, Dom."  
  
"Kel, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, both for Meathead's remark about that Cleon, and for making you work so hard."  
  
She smiled. How could Dom be so nice?  
  
"It doesn't matter, Dom."  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm glad."  
  
"What're you doing out here, Lady?" a voice interrupted them.  
  
She looked toward the doorway and saw Tobe, watching them interestedly.  
  
"Nothing, Tobe. We'd better get inside- these evil Steadfast soldiers'll have all of our food eaten before we get there. That Raoul, especially." Dom said kindly, dropping Kel's hand and heading toward the door.  
  
"Lady, what were you really doin' out here?" Tobe repeated. He stayed behind, looking at her.  
  
"Nothing, Tobe."  
  
"Tha' Dom seems like bad news to me. Anyway, I'll probably be goin' back to my village when you leave."  
  
Kel stood bolt upright. "Why?!"  
  
"Well, what wi' you goin' back to Corus, wi' the Third Company an' all, I won' really have a place wi' you. You won' need me."  
  
"Tobe- of course I need you! How could you even think that? You need to come with me! And you'll meet Lalasa, and my family, and..." STEFAN! She thought excitedly. Why hadn't she thought of it before? "I just thought of someone you'd need to meet! He's the stable manager, and he has horse- magic, just like you!"  
  
"Horse-magic? Like me?" Tobe said in awe.  
  
"Yes- you'll love him! But for now, we really need to eat. These Steadfast scoundrels'll eat everything."  
  
Tobe departed for the commoner's mess, surprisingly without any persuasion from Kel. It seemed he'd made several friends. Kel walked briskly to the food line. It had decreased it the few minutes that she'd delayed. She served herself some coarse bread and venison stew, and walked to a side table where Neal was sitting with Dom.  
  
"Vegetables, Nealan." She said as she sat on the opposite bench, spearing a bite of venison.  
  
"But Mother," he whined jokingly. Kel scowled. "Fine, fine. I do want to look good for Yuki, you know."  
  
Kel felt a pang in her chest. He was the second of her friends getting married, even if he was the oldest. She continued on as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Good boys eat their vegetables anyway."  
  
"I am a man, I'll have you know!"  
  
"Of course, Neal." She finished wearily.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt the friendly discussion, but I just wanted to remind you that we do leave for New Hope tomorrow. You probably already knew, but- "  
  
"Tomorrow?" Kel questioned. "I guess I must have forgotten.....I'd better go and pack."  
  
And with that, she finished her stew and raced from the hall.  
  
"She really wants to go home, doesn't she?" Dom asked, eyes locked on the fleeing figure.  
  
"Are you coming onto my friend?" Neal asked accusatorily.  
  
"No......" Dom replied, still watching the tall knight dodge tables.  
  
"Hmm." Neal said suspiciously. "Owen, what do you think?"  
  
The squire looked up from his meal. "Kel's jolly. You'd better not hurt her."  
  
Dom sighed and looked skyward.  
  
"We mean it, Dom. You hurt her, we'll hurt you." Neal said quietly.  
  
A/N thank you all so much if you reviewed!!! Also, several people said that they really wanted this to be a Neal/Kel fic..... but I really don't know. Tell your opinions in reviews, and I'll consider them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, I love you all!!!!!! 


	3. Too Much Summer Mud

A/N Thank you!!!!  
  
Kel gritted her teeth and tried to shut out the sound of Neal, who was riding in front of her, reciting poetry -composed by him, of course- to Yuki.  
  
"Your eyelashes are as thick as..... Donkey's hair -no, a horse's mane- and your eyes are as dark as.... mud." He muttered. He crouched forward in his saddle to scribble on a piece of parchment leaning against the saddle horn.  
  
"Neal, please!" she begged. "Give me a moment's peace. Please!"  
  
He turned in his saddle to face her. "Just because you do not enjoy my form of poetry doesn't denote that Yuki will not."  
  
Kel sighed and rolled her eyes. She'd had this discussion too many times to count.  
  
"Yes- it does! She likes Yamani-style poetry, like haiku! She won't like your painful limericks! I THOUGHT you and the others had found books on Yamani Poetry, but evidently not."  
  
"Merric found a book on ancient Gallan limericks. He said that the styles were nearly the same." Neal said with no trace of disbelief.  
  
Kel tried not to let out an uncharacteristic giggle. "You believed him?" she said -well, rather, squeaked.  
  
Neal tried hard to remain dignified. "Yes."  
  
Kel shook her head and dissolved into a fit of giggles. Peachblossom seemed to share her amusement. He bobbed his head and whinnied. Neal ignored them and went back to his poetry.  
  
"Your Kimono..." he continued.  
  
But Kel's gelding seemed to have had enough. He snaked out his long neck and bit Neal's horse. Hard.  
  
She reared and bolted, dumping Neal in the mud. The piece of parchment went into the mire also, ruining the writing. Kel stifled another fit of giggles.  
  
"Here, Neal." She said, leaning down and holding out her hand.  
  
He took it with a scowl. His mount was drinking from a nearby stream. Neal mounted up with a sigh and spurred his horse into a trot.  
Two hours later they had reached New Hope. Fanche greeted them at the gates and told them that supper was about to begin. Kel quickly groomed Peachblossom and trotted across the courtyard, pausing a moment to look at the Mindelan flag flapping on the pole. She smiled, raised her hand in a private salute, and continued through the huge wooden doors.  
  
As she walked through the tables, waves, smiles, and several spine-cracking claps on the back greeted her. Her usual seat on the higher bench was empty. She sat down, flanked by a flushed Merric and a diabolical-looking Neal. He didn't say anything, only looked at her frostily.  
  
"Merric! How did everything go whilst I was away?" Kel asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Fine, Mother. How was the Stump?"  
  
"Fine -cheery as usual. I have some good -some very good- news. I'll tell you after we eat."  
  
"Didn't you forget to get food?" he asked with surprise.  
  
Kel looked down at the empty plate in her hands. "Oh. I guess I must have. Without Einur to remind me...I guess so." She banished thoughts of murdered refugees and walked quickly to the line for food. A bowl of meat stew and a hunk of coarse bread were placed in her hands. She wandered back to her seat, pausing to speak to her friends in the crowd.  
  
She ate quickly, halting briefly between bites to answer Merric's questions about her visit to Fort Steadfast.  
  
"Here goes." She said as she rose from her seat.  
  
Walking to the front of the room, Kel had a very random thought. Her clothes were getting far too small. They were also terribly worn. Kel had forgotten to have them let down without Lalasa to remind her.  
  
Normally, this wouldn't matter at all for her, as long as the clothes were pragmatic. Now, though, with Dom traveling all the way to Corus with her, she wanted to make a good impression. She shook her head at her vainness and stood on top a large wooden crate.  
  
"Good evening, everyone." She said coolly. "I have some good news."  
  
The conversation died down until all eyes were locked on her.  
  
"Some very good news. King Jonathan the fourth has finally swayed the votes of the council of Lords and the council of Commons. This means that we'll all be trekking toward Corus this fall, instead of freezing here." Kel looked at Neal and Merric. Neal looked unfazed, but Merric's mouth was hanging open. Kel chuckled. "You'll be divided into fiefs that have a large enough food surplus to feed you. I'll need all of your help, with protecting the supply train and herding the animals, and driving the wagons, and protecting from rogue Scanrans..." she trailed off, amazed at the amount of work needed for a progress this large. "Gods. I really will need EVERYONE'S help."  
  
A/N Hope you liked that. Also, someone told me that Tobe was sounding a little OOC. I probably should know what that means, but I just cannot remember. Could someone please clarify that for me???? And anyway, as anyone who tries to write what Tobe says knows, IT IS HARD!!!!! He either comes out sounding totally modern, or he sounds like some Scottish backwoodsman! (Note to readers: that was not an insult to Scottish backwoodsmen. I would be insulting myself. That is not something I do on a regular basis. Nor do I insult people who have been so kind as to read my story.) And as for your questions about whether this is going to be a Neal or a Dom fic, I have almost decided. But I'm not going to tell you. You see, if you already knew, it would spoil the plot. You'll just have to guess!!!!!!!!!! But, I am leaning slightly toward Dom. But I could have a huge change of opinion. But....But..But!!!! Heh heh. Try and convince me otherwise -if you dare!!!!! Anyway, thank you all sooooooo much for reviewing -or just reading, you shy, evil people!! So anyway, tell me what you think on this chapter. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! 


	4. Ancient Gallan Limericks

A/N Thanks so much for the OOC definitions..I got a very enthusiastic response! And I'll try and avoid that. Anyway, as everyone who tries to write lines for Tobe knows, that it is HARD!!!  
  
~Lady Arabella Sedai~ I actually knew that, and I am truly sorry -I actually made that mistake twice! I just haven't gotten around to changing it -I thought that you might appreciate another chapter more than a spell change. It's actually my comp's fault; it keeps spell checking and automatically correcting my mistakes. It thinks that "Mindelan" is a mistake. Anyway, it shouldn't do that again, 'cause I reprogrammed it. If you see another one, though, feel free to point it out!  
  
~the FLAMER~ I would actually love it if you'd beta for me. That goes for anyone else, also!!!!! Just send me an email or a review if you'll consider it. Furthermore, just how many stories HAVE you read before mine? **Cowers in fright**  
  
"Yes, Peliwin. There is one wagon between every six families." Kel said wearily, trying to stay cheerful. "Take only what you need, and hand in any saved food to our cooks. It'll just take up space, and if you give it to them they'll be able to feed it to you."  
  
Finally, the girl nodded and went back to her family, who were standing a few yards away, watching their daughter protectively. After being hurt by her captures, she had abandoned her plans of marriage, at least for the present.  
  
Kel almost sighed in relief, but stopped herself just in time. The stream of questioning refugees had continued through out the entire day, with VERY short pauses for meals. Finally, a few minutes ago, the dinner ball had rang -the sound of escape for Kel. She had just finished up a few more complaints before walking to the mess.  
  
"Evening, Neal." She said as she sat next to him. "Merric." She began shoveling food into her mouth hungrily. 'Gods, I am STARVING."  
  
Neal scowled icily at her. Merric grinned.  
  
"Still haven't forgiven me, Neal? If you truly want me to recite your-er- POEM- back to you, I could. I think I can remember all of the gruesome details."  
  
"No, no, that is QUITE all right." He said, looking pained, as Kel began to speak.  
  
"Your eyelashes are as thick as a horse's mane..." She started, grinning gleefully.  
  
"No- no, stop it, Kel!"  
  
"Ancient Gallan limericks?" Merric asked dryly.  
  
"Ancient Gallen limericks." Kel confirmed.  
  
"You said the styles were the same!" Neal shrieked in shock.  
  
Merric and Kel giggled. "Nevermind, Neal." They said together.  
  
Neal scowled.  
  
A/N Oh, yeah, harmless fluff. Oh yeah. Oh yah, in a big way. Sorry.....coffee icecream does this to me. MUAHAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Nnyway, luv y'all. 


	5. Leaving

A/N Hello, m'darlin's! Miss you guys soooooooooo much.... I haven't written in like years.yeah like I said in my other story, the end of school and this whole drama that was like living Hades, worked at a farm this summer and that was like living Heaven....anyway, the extremes... v. busy, anyway, sorry you guys sooooooo much, I love you soooooo much, thanks soooooo much for the awesome reviews you special people sent me during my absence. Yummy m&ms (dude, don't sue.)  
  
"Into the wagon, heave!" Dom called to a team of workers lugging barrels into a wagon. "Let's go, everyone, only one more day!"  
  
Kel smiled and frowned simultaneously. Tomorrow they left New Hope for good. Forever.  
  
"Hey Dom?" She shouted to Dom. He looked up momentarily. "I'm just going to take a walk to clear my head, all right?"  
  
"Sure, Kel, we can manage....see you tonight at the mess." He called back, glancing over his shoulder before looking back to the team.  
  
She walked off. Toward the wall at the edge of the town. She sighed and walked slowly up the stairs. She looked over the fields and forest, glancing toward the river sparkling like a mirror in the sunset.  
  
The dinner bell clanged in the distance. She sighed and stepped slowly down the stairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She picked absent-mindedly at her hastily prepared meal: slightly stale bread, raw carrots and salted venison slices.  
  
"Y'all right there, Kel?" Neal asked through a mouthful of meat.  
  
"Vegetables, Neal," Kel said vaguely in his direction.  
  
"Kel, seriously." Dom said gravely, watching her.  
  
"Oh...yeah, I'm fine." She stood abruptly. "I never finished my walk....I suppose I'll see you later."  
  
She strode quickly to her room and grabbed a cloak from the hook next to her bed, then circled the perimeter of the camp. People bowed shyly and smiled as she passed, and she weakly nodded back.  
  
Now she continued back to the spot on the wall where she had been regarding the surrounding lands. The sky was nearly pitch-black, but the moon was half-waxed and the fields and forest were illuminated with a pale silvery light. An eagle wheeled overhead. That was odd, Kel thought. They generally were daytime birds.  
  
It swooped down toward the wall and seconds later, a smoky haired girl slightly older than Kel was standing on the wall.  
  
"Evening, Daine, what brings you here?" Kel asked distractedly.  
  
Daine smiled benevolently. "The same as brings you here, Keladry. Saying goodbye to one of my homes."  
  
"That's the thing, though, Daine. I've only lived here months, but it is one of my homes. Why? Why do I feel attached to this place?"  
  
"Perhaps....because you've had so many emotional experiences here. There was the Haven massacre, you were put in charge of hundreds of people and they died. You felt like a betrayer, and then you were put in charge here, and it was like starting over. And....you were probably worrying about failing again."  
  
"But....I don't know why I don't want to leave. All through the months I've lived here, all I've thought of is going home. This muddy camp has caught my attention. I don't want to leave it."  
  
"Kel, it's normal. No one wants to leave something they are obligated to protect. Why, when I die my little dragon will be left alone, not to mention all of my friends and Numair. Are you really surprised that you don't want to give it up?"  
  
"Warriors don't have feelings." Kel bit her lip and pulled up her Yamani mask. "Daine," She turned toward her friends. "You've really helped me."  
  
"That's why I'm here...I'd best go, due at Steadfast in an hour..anyway, it looks you have another companion now." She glanced at a figure trotting up the stairs.  
  
Kel looked too. "Dom?" Hse asked questioningly, but he was too far away to hear.  
  
"Goodbye, Kel. I'll see you soon." Daine shifted forms to an owl and flew off into the sky.  
  
Dom walked up to Kel and leaned against the wall next to her.  
  
They stared at the sky for several minutes.  
  
"Kel," Dom said finally, "I have something to tell you."  
  
A/N cliffffff hanger.....:D review my friends and tell me what you think!!!!! 


	6. Can't Fight the Moonlight

A/N I got so many reviews telling me to "STOP PROCRASTINATING AND GET A MOVE ON! THIS BLOODY CLIFFHANGER IS MAKING ME VEEEEERY ANGRY!!!!!!!!!" That I figured I'd better get a move on, rather than someone take my advice and **gulp** use me for target practice.....hahahahha would you guess that my mom says I can do that to anyone who breaks up with me.....She was joking....I think. Anyway, watching the HOBBITS on TRL!!!!!!!!!! Booya baby! Well, hobbits suck compared to the Elves......but I'm so LotR deprived I'll go with it. Anyway, LotR means FLUFF! Maybe.....maybe?  
  
"Kel," Dom said, looking lazily over the fields and forests. "I want to thank you. I want to thank you for.....so much. My family.....has a huge reputation. Masbolle, Queenscove, some of the most famous families ever to fight for the crown. See, when people meet me, they either hate me, or try to suck up for favors. I'd hoped to escape that by not becoming a knight, but sadly that didn't work. I try to be funny, to try to placate everyone, but that doesn't work either. Almost everyone I meet has one of these two reactions, admiration or contempt. But you, Kel.......you were different."  
  
Kel tried to stop him, but he held up his hand to stop her. "Kel, shh. Let me finish. You were different, and you still are. You'll always be my friend, Kel, forever and always. And.....well, Kel, I like you a lot. Maybe as more than a friend. I don't know. I've just been feeling, lately, that......well, that there's something between us."  
  
Suddenly, he seemed to wake up from his reverie. "What-did-I-just-say?" he asked in embarrassment.  
  
"Nothing," Kel replied curtly, "Just something that Neal must have put you up to." She turned on her heel and stomped quickly down the stone steps.  
  
She strode hastily across the wide courtyard and into her bedroom. She slammed the door and leaned against the frame, drew an arm across he face and stifled a sob.  
  
"Lady?" asked a small voice from the floor.  
  
She uncovered her eyes and looked into wide brown eyes. "Lady, what is it?" asked Tobe. "If it's that Dom, I'll make him pay for hurting you."  
  
He looked closer into her eyes. "It is, isn't it? That bastard! Milady, what did he do to you?"  
  
"Nothing, Tobe. Nothing." She said, shaking her head and attempting a smile. He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Milady, I know you better than that, but if you don't want to talk about it, I can't do anything about that. Whatever it is...maybe sleep will cure it. Lady, rest."  
  
She nodded silently, trying not to cry, and curled up on the bed without changing her clothes.  
  
Tobe watched her until her breathing was regular and the almost-crying expression had left her face before narrowing his eyes, softly opening the door, and vanishing into the moonlit shadows.  
  
A/N CAN'T FIGHT THE MOONLGIHT!!!!! Hahhahha. I kinda wanted it to be like...Dom was thinking all that stuff, thinking he might say it, but knowing he never could. And he was like, hypnotized by the moonlight and peace and it...just came out. That's happened to me before. And Kel was supposed to be like....wanting to believe it but knowing that it couldn't possibly be true...that's happened to me to. It usually results in a lot of nail biting, about 80 million glasses of tea (My bestest buddy Laura knows abut this..), and a lot of hyperness. So we'll see if Kel experiences the same. 


	7. Assasination Foiled

A/N 'moonlit shadows?" wow that's an oxymoron if I ever see one. I'm surprised none of you sticklers caught me on that one. Well, I'll do the penance of writing another chapter. Wow I'm back again and hopefully this time for good. I think I'll try to update all of my stories once a week, not completely sporadically like I used to: 4 chapters today, none for the next two months. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.  
  
Nei Starwhistler- Glad you liked them.I thought that would be a pretty funny style of writing. And..ummm..skinned and roasted alive. Well gee that sounds tasty.  
  
Baka-chibi-puffs -uhh.ok. I think you meant review your stories, which I shall do as soon as the chance comes my way, although I'm a bit busy with the farm I work at and Scholar's Bowl and this wacko youth group thingy my parents stuck me in.  
  
Ice-woman - ( sorry!! Sorry, sorry!! Hee hee hee I'm so evil.  
  
Pinky - Ellen: "Dom, spit it out already!" hahaha happy now?  
  
Poison Moon- I'll try, I really shall.  
  
Well hah hah hah that's it for the shoutouts, so too bad if you're not in them, it's because I don't like you!! Just kidding, it's because my brain's a bit dead from homework. I love you!!!!!!!!!!!! And if you hate shoutouts in general, before a chapter starts, I might consider stopping. It really bothers me when an author does shoutouts to like every person who has ever reviewed her stories, so it takes like two mintues of scrolling down to get to the actual story. Anyway, tell me what you think.  
  
Domitan of Masbolle was wandering the compound, trying to figure out what he'd just told Kel that made her rush off in such a hurry, when a dark shadow detached itself from the infirmary wall. He started and reached for his sword, but relaxed when he realized who it was.  
  
"Evening to you, Tobe. Why are you out so late?" He asked as the figure stepped into the moonlight.  
  
"Could ask the same of you, sir." Tobe replied, falling into step beside Dom and trying to conceal both the knife he held behind his back and the sharp edge of anger in his voice.  
  
"I was actually talking to Kel. Did she say anything to you?" Dom asked, hope creeping into his puzzled voice.  
  
"What do you mean by that, sir?"  
  
~*~  
  
Across the compound, Keladry of Mindelan was waking up from her fitful ten minutes of rest. Realizing she couldn't possibly get back to sleep, she sat up in bed. I have to talk to him....she thought. Ask him...what he meant by that. For the sake of both my sanity and sleeping habits.  
  
Just like the shadowy figure that had left moments before, she paused by the door and looked for the other occupant of her room. "Tobe?" She asked, then shrugged. He must have gone to the outhouse, she thought before quietly opening the door and vanishing into the night.  
  
~*~  
  
"I mean...did she say anything about me?" Dom raised one eyebrow as he stopped walking and turned to face Tobe. "I was just talking to her and I can't remember what I said, but it must have been really malicious because she left and was almost crying, and I just want to say sorry but before I can do that I have to know what I'm sorry for, and I just can't remember!!!" Dom said, on the verge of hysterics.  
  
"I was hoping that you could-"Tobe was saying, drawing the knife out from behind his back, when it was plucked from his grasp. He gasped and whirled around to find his Knight-master glaring down at him very forebodingly.  
  
'Tobe," Kel said, feet planted firmly on the ground, while twirling a small dagger between her fingers, "Back to our rooms. I'll speak with you later."  
  
Tobe knew better than to argue when his master was in this bad a mood (and she had a right to be), even when her Yamani instruction was masking it, so he trotted back to the barracks without saying a word.  
  
Kel held up a hand before Dom could speak. "Dom, I really, really need to know-"  
  
"Kel, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry-" He said at the same time.  
  
'Well, you go first-" they told each other at the same time. "Fine-"  
  
Kel took a deep breath and tried to smile. Dom watched her, big-eyed. "Dom," Kel started. "I wanted to ask you if...if any of those things you said on the wall were true. You're a great, great friend.."  
  
"Kel-let me explain. I don't really even remember what I said to you out there, but I'm pretty sure that if it's about what I think, it's true." He said quietly.  
  
Kel stood open-mouthed for a moment. Abruptly she snapped it shut, whirled around, and took a few step in the direction of her barracks. She pivoted on her heel and turned to face him. "I....you....I mean...I guess what I mean to say is-" She took a deep breath. "Dom, you're a great, great friend. And I don't want to sacrifice a perfect friendship for a relationship...that might not be so perfect. I...I like you too, Dom, but I am asking you to wait to tell me any of this until we are back in Tortall, until I have the time to deal with this. Until I have the time to think about this. I-I have to go and punish Tobe for attempting to assassinate you...I'll....uh....I'll speak to you later."  
  
"Pfft," Dom snorted, trying to keep the mood light. "I knew he had that knife the whole time."  
  
"Uh-huh." Kel replied skeptically, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.  
  
"Well...goodnight, then." Dom said uncertainly after a pause. He leaned forward abruptly and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then walked off across the deserted parade ground without another word.  
  
"Good...goodnight..." Kel said, staring after him, her hand to her cheek. 


End file.
